Watertight hatch

Abstract

A hatch useful for forming a portal to a sub-surface facility has a cover plate with a plurality of fasteners around its perimeter. These fasteners apply an adjustable compressive force on the cover plate. A compressible material is affixed to the cover plate inward from the perimeter adjacent to the fasteners. A first vertical portion of a rectangular channel has a first end penetrating the compressive material to form a water barrier with the penetration distance being determined by the compressive force. A mechanical stop determines a maximum penetration depth.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]N.A.U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS[0002]N.A.BACKGROUND[0003]1. Field[0004]This invention relates to a hatch that provides access to a sub-surface facility, such a utility space. More particularly, the hatch includes a watertight seal that is precisely controlled to prevent leakage through the seal due to under-tightening and damage to the seal due to over-tightening.[0005]2. Description of the Related Art[0006]There are numerous hatches having a top surface flush with another surface, such as a sidewalk or roadway. These hatches provide access to an underlying sub-surface facility. The subsurface facilities frequently contain utility lines, such as power lines or communication lines. It is desirable to prevent the ingress of water, such as during a rainstorm or flood. In the manufacture of hatches, it is known to include a compressible material, such as a gasket, in the assembly to provide a watertight seal. The hatch may be sealed with a pluralit...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]A second feature is that the penetration depth is kept within predefined tolerances to prevent under penetration of the compressible material, leading to water leakage, and to prevent over penetration of the compressible material that could cause material deformation, again leading to leakage.

[0013]A third feature is that the dimensional aspects are prepared to insure that over-tightening and under-tightening do not occur. This enables an unskilled operator to accurately seal the hatch and to effectively open and close the hatch using conventional tools.

Problems solved by technology

If the penetration force is too low, a watertight seal is not achieved.

If the penetration force is too high, the compressible material is permanently deformed causing a failure in the watertight seal.

However, it is desirable to minimize the tools carried by a worker and maximize worker efficiency and these options are not ideal.

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